Set Sun Oven out to preheat. Line two baking racks with silicone mats or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, coarsely mash the beans leaving about 1/2 un-mashed. Stir in the sweet potato, 1 cup of the rice, the nuts, onions, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar (if using). If the mixture seems too moist add more rice or ground nuts. Form 12 patties and place them on the prepared baking racks. Bake in the Sun Oven until firm, about 45 minutes. Serve on slider buns or with a salad. Garnish with avocado, thinly sliced red onion, salsa, or spicy bbq sauce.

The vegetable box I had delivered last week included a pound of fingerling sweet potatoes which are not one of my favorite things. This came as a bit of a surprise to me because when I initially read the contents my brain skipped over the word sweet – I was expecting regular fingerling potatoes which are one of my favorite things. In any case, these burritos were pretty good.

Set Sun Oven out to preheat. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a baking pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the sweet potatoes to the pan, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with salt, cover with another baking pan, and transfer to the Sun Oven. Bake until the potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes. Mash the potatoes in the pan with a fork; set aside. Leave the oven out.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic followed by the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Stir in the mashed beans, mustard, and soy sauce. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the consistency of refried beans. Removed from heat and let cool slightly.

Spread 1/4 of the mashed sweet potatoes in the center of a tortilla. Top with 1/4 of the beans and 1/4 of the cheese. Fold the tortilla into a burrito and place it, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas. Transfer the baking pan to the Sun Oven and bake until the burritos are heated through, about 30 minutes.

This is a big batch of soup so you’re going to need a big pot. A stock pot works great. Make sure it fits in the Sun Oven before you start. You can remove the leveling tray if necessary, just be sure to set a trivet or rack on the floor of the cooking chamber to allow for air flow.

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

(adapted for the Sun Oven from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

3 cups previously cooked cannellini or other white beans with their cooking liquid

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 clover garlic, minced

1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup farro

1 can (15-ounces) diced tomatoes

1 bunch kale stemmed and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional olive oil for serving

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Drain the beans; reserving the cooking liquid. Place 1 1/2 cups of the beans with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth; set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and leek. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened; about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and red pepper flakes then the tomato paste. Add the farro, diced tomatoes, remaining beans, and kale. Add enough water to the bean cooking liquid to measure 3 cups. Pour the water into the pot and stir to combine all the ingredients. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven. Cook until the farro is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese.

I’ve recently started saving the rendered fat from my solar cooked bacon and am always on the look out for ways to use it. If you don’t have any on hand, double the amount of olive oil in this recipe. The soup will still be good; just a little less bacony. Any type of white bean will also work, but my favorite is the Mayocoba (also know as Peruano or Canario).

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, bacon fat, and rosemary. Add the salt pork, drained beans, and chicken broth. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven. Cook until the beans are soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove and discard the salt pork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle crumbled bacon on each serving (if using).

Cooked spaghetti squash keeps well in the fridge and can be used to make all sorts of quick lunches.

Spaghetti Squash Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash

1 can (14-ounce) vegetarian refried beans

6 eggs, at room temperature

red or green salsa

hot sauce

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat. Spray six custard cups or a muffin tin with cooking spray; set aside.

Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the squash, cut side down in a baking pan. Add 1/2 cup water and cook in the Sun Oven until soft. Remove the squash from the oven (leave the Sun Oven out) and when cool enough to handle scrape the pulp out into a large bowl. You will have more than needed for this recipe. Store leftover squash in the fridge in an airtight container for other uses.

Divide the squash evenly among the custard cups, pressing it up the sides like a pie crust, season with salt. Fill the squash lined cup with the beans, making a slight indentation in the center of each cup. Carefully crack an egg into cup. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cups in a baking pan. Use a second baking pan as a lid and bake the eggs in the Sun Oven until the whites are cooked, about 40 minutes. Top with salsa and hot sauce before serving.

The cocoa powder gives this easy to prepare chili a depth of flavor that store bought brands lack. Previously cooked legumes can also be used in place of canned for some or all of the beans in this recipe.

Easy Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 can (14 1/2-ounce) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 1/2-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 1/2-ounce), drained and rinsed

1 can (14 1/2-ounce), stewed tomatoes

1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons New Mexican chili powder

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Sour cream and hot sauce for serving

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover and cook in the Sun Oven until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Ladle in to bowls and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of sour cream.

Pulse 1 1/2 cups of the beans in a food processor until smooth adding a little water if needed; set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic then stir in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, bay leaf, remaining beans, and mashed beans. Season to taste with salt. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven. Cook until the flavors have blended, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaf. Stir in the lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with sour cream and green onion.

Top these tasty, spicy, vegetarian burgers with your favorite toppings. Any extra patties can be frozen, unbaked, for up to 3 months.

Sun Oven Baked Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

2 cups previously cooked black beans, drained

1/2 bell pepper, seeded and cut into pieces

1/2 onion, quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat. Line a baking rack or sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, lightly coat with cooking spray; set aside.

Put the beans in the a food processor and pulse until they resemble a coarse meal. Transfer the beans to a large bowl. Process the bell pepper, onion, and garlic on pulse until finely chopped. Mix the vegetable mixture into the beans. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, salt, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Mix the egg mixture into the beans. Stir in the bread crumbs, a little at a time, until the mixture holds together (you may not need to use all of them). Use your hands to form four patties and place them on the prepared baking rack. Bake in the Sun Oven, turning once, for approximately 40 minutes (20 minutes per side).

The contrast of the black beans and orange squash make this appealing to both the palate and the eye.

Curried Solar Black Beans, Squash, and Rice

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, an cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons peeled fresh ginger, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup brown rice

2 teaspoons hot curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups previously cooked black beans

1/2 bunch kale, stems removed, thinly sliced

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Spay a baking pan with cooking spay. Spread the squash out in the pan in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Roast in the Sun Oven until tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from Sun Oven and set aside.

In a large pot, toss the remaining tablespoon oil with the onion, ginger, and garlic. Cover and sauté in the Sun Oven until the onions begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Heat the water along side the onions. Stir in the rice, curry powder, allspice, salt, beans, kale, and water. Cook, covered, until the water has all been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove pot from Sun Oven and stir in the roasted squash.